The first
people to arrive in what is now Indiana were hunter-gatherers. Over
time, these people learned to farm and make tools. They began to settle
villages and trade with other groups. These early civilizations were
called Mound Builders. The Mound Builders included the Adena, Hopewell,
and Mississippian people. These groups disappeared over time and were
replaced by the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, Shawnee, and others.
The arrival of
Europeans changed the lives of Native Americans. French fur traders were
the first Europeans to arrive in Indiana. Native Americans traded furs
for European tools and weapons. During the French and Indian War, Native
Americans joined forces with the French to stop British colonists from
settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. After the British won the
war, Great Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763. This law reserved
the land west of the Appalachian Mountains for Native Americans.
British
colonists grew angry with Great Britain over the proclamation as well as
unfair taxes and trade policies. The colonists declared their
independence in 1776, starting the Revolutionary War. Six years later,
the Americans defeated the British with the help of France and Spain.

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Standard 1 ~ History: Students trace the historical places, people, events, and movements that have led to the development of Indiana as a state.

4.1.1 Identify and compare the major early cultures that existed in the region that became Indiana prior to contact with Europeans.Examples:Paleo-Indians such as Hopewell, Adena, and Mississippian cultures4.1.2 Identify and describe historic Native American Indian groups that lived in Indiana at the time of early European exploration, including ways these groups adapted to and interacted with the physical environment. Examples: Miami, Shawnee, Potawatomi, and Lenape (Delaware)4.1.3 Explain the importance of the Revolutionary War and other key events and people that influenced the development of Indiana as a state.Examples: George Rogers Clark and the Fall of Vincennes (1779), development of the Northwest Territory, Indiana become a U.S. Territory, Chief Little Turtle, Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa (the Prophet), William Henry Harrison, and the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)